PAGE 191. Benoit's account of Taillefer's exploits:
Uns Taillefer, ce dit l'escriz,
I aveit mult grant pris conquis;
Mais il i fu morz e occis.
Tant esteit grant sis hardemenz
Qu'en mi les presses de lor genz
Se colout autresi séur
Cume s'il i fust clos de mur;
E puis qu'il out plaies mortex,
Puis i fu-il si proz e teus
Que chevalier de nul parage
N'i fist le jor d'eus teu damage.
Gaimar's version of the story is as follows:
Quant les escheles furent rengées
Et de férir appareillées,
Mult i out genz d'ambes dous parz;
De hardement semblent léoparz.
Un des François donc se hasta,
Devant les autres chevaucha.
Talifer ert cil appellez,
Juglère hardi estait assez;
Armes avoit et bon cheval,
Si ert hardiz et noble vassal.
Devant les autres cil se mist,
Devant Englois merveilles fist;
Sa lance prist par le tuet
Si com ceo fust un bastonet,
Encontremont halt l'engetta
Et par le fer receue l'a.
.Iij. fois issi getta sa lance,
La quarte foiz puis s'avance,
Entre les Englois la launça,
Par mi le cors un en navera,
Puis trest s'espée, arère vint,
Et getta l'espée qu'il tint,
Encontremont haut le receit.
L'un dit al autre, qi ceo veit,
Qe ceo estoit enchantement.
Cil se fiert devant la gent
Quant .iij. foiz out getté l'espée.
Le cheval ad la goule baée,
Vers les Englois vint eslessé.
Auquanz quident estre mangé
Pur le cheval q'issi baout.
Li jugléour enprès venout,
Del espée fiert un Engleis,
Le poign li fet voler maneis;
Un autre férit tant cum il pout,
Mau guerdon le jour en out;
Car li Englois de totes parz
Li launcent gavelocs et darz,
Si l'occistrent et son destrer:
Mar demanda le coup primer.
[PAGE 210.] Greater authority should, perhaps, be assigned to the Bec record, from the fact that the author of part of it was one of the family, namely, Milo Crespin, cantor Becci, probably before 1150.
[PAGE 211.] The pedigree of the Roumares, and their illustrious connections, is now fully elucidated, in correction of Dugdale, &c. by Mr. Stapleton, in Bowles's History of Lacock Abbey. Wace lived in the time of all three of the Williams. The second died in 1152, before his father the earl, who made a pilgrimage to St. James. Both Roger (or more properly Robert) and his father Gerold the dapifer, were living at the conquest. Robert is the Robertus filius Giroldi of Domesday, then possessor of Corfe Castle.
[PAGE 213.] In the Adas to vol. viii. of Mémoires des Antiquaires Norm. there are two seals of Fulks D'Aunou, from charters to the abbey of Gouffern. In the first, of the twelfth century, the name is written FULCONIS DE ALNUIO; in the second, of the thirteenth century, it stands FULCONIS DÑI DE ALNETO, MILITIS.
[PAGE 213.] See the descent of Tancarville, in common with that of Roumare, elucidated by Mr. Stapleton's evidence in Bowles's Hist. of Lacock Abbey, p. 69.
[PAGE 221]—[236.] See considerable information as to the family of VITRÉ in the Hist. of Lacock, p. 264.
[PAGE 222.] The Epinay here referred to must clearly be Epinay-Tesson, arrondissement of Bayeux. Our reference to Hardy's Rot. Norm, should be to p. 16, as quoted before at p. 208.